Lord, Help Me Forgive

Are you struggling to forgive someone? Does it seem impossible? You can do it. But before we begin, remember this: Unforgiveness will destroy you, not them.

There is only one way to forgive the unforgivable. These Scriptures will strengthen and empower you to do it, as they did for me. Ask the Holy Spirit to soften your heart so that you can receive what He has for you.

They crucified him and Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar. Luke 23: 34-36

We can forgive others when we understand the depth of His forgiveness of our own sins. Crucifixion is the most brutal kind of execution. Yet Jesus pleaded with the Father to forgive them. He suffered heart-breaking rejection at the cross, yet He loved and forgave those responsible.

Nothing we have to forgive can compare to His example of forgiveness. He suffered and died so that we would be forgiven for all the sins we have ever committed and even the ones we will commit in the future; He asks us to forgive others in return.

The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians, “I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” (2 Corinthians 2:10-11)

Paul knew that the sin of unforgiveness would give the devil a foothold. Satan is a genuine enemy of every Christian. The Bible is clear about this.

In Ephesians 6:10, Paul exhorts God’s people: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Our obedience to Christ protects us from the devil’s schemes. You may not find the power to forgive within yourself, but through Christ, you can. Forgive as an act of your will. Your feelings will eventually change. The first step is to tell God that you forgive this person.

Meditate on God’s promises, instead of meditating on the injustice. The more time you spend in His presence, in His Word, in prayer and meditation, the less that injustice will have power to hurt you.

Whenever something I have already forgiven crosses my mind, I refuse to think about it. I consciously begin to think about something else. Sometimes that can be difficult. Just do it! Take control over your thoughts.

Thank Jesus for what He has done for you. It will destroy the power of the wrong to upset you. Peace and joy is already given to the child of God; God’s Word reveals how to live in it. We must trust and obey.

A Story About Forgiveness

21 At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?”

22 Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.

23-25 “The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. He couldn’t pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market.

26-27 “The poor wretch threw himself at the king’s feet and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt.

28 “The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, ‘Pay up. Now!’

29-31 “The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ But he wouldn’t do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king.

32-35 “The king summoned the man and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn’t you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?’ The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that’s exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn’t forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy.” Matthew 18:21-35 The Message (MSG)

5 thoughts on “Lord, Help Me Forgive”

More than once, I have had to forgive someone for some terrible and unfair things. What I wrote comes from my experience. Thank you for visiting and commenting. It’s always wonderful to hear from you, Kathy.

Beautiful Post Forgiveness is very hard to do sometimes that’s why I believe each day we need to ask God for a more forgiving heart I held on to some things and I don’t want to be bitter and angry at someone Forgiving is not just for people but its for yourself too. To let go of the anger and the bitterness you have toward a person and to be at peace and give it all to God and to be more like Christ and love them and forgive them